by Alyson Hale
I’m suddenly left alone in the room as Mom dashes to the phone to warn Elyza Dad is here. I feel like I’m standing in a war zone as I watch Dad’s cab sit idling outside the house. We’ve had ten years of relative peace, and now our enemy is at our doorstep again. Shit is about to go down and fast if he doesn’t go away like we asked him to.
Something tells me we definitely haven’t seen the last of Rick Calloway yet.
Mom brings the phone back into the room with Elyza on Facetime. The two of us sit down together to talk to her, holding hands on the couch between us.
Elyza’s slim, sweet face lights up at the sight of us. She’s relaxing in her dorm room wearing a tee that says If I die today, tell Jensen Ackles I loved him. Her light copper red hair is pulled into a cute messy bun, and her hazel eyes are alive with laughter.
“Hi, Mom! Hey, Ky! What’s going on?”
“Hi, sweetie.” Mom forces a wobbly smile. I’m her rock, but Elyza is her baby. The thought of hurting Elyza is enough to break her down all over again. She tries to speak, but then she has to hand off the phone to me. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“Hey, Ely.” I smile at my baby sis. She’s my best friend and partner in crime. My one goal in life when I was little was to protect her. It sucks having to deliver this news, but if anyone has to do it, it might as well be me. She’ll probably take it better from me, anyway. “We just wanted to let you know Dad’s back in town.”
Her eyes grow wide, making white rings around her pretty irises. “Dad?”
“Yes. He came by the house just now. We thought you should hear about it from us first.”
“He’s back?” A smile starts on her face. “What did he say? Did he ask about me?”
“Um…well, we didn’t really get that far.”
“Hey, Maria!” Elyza calls out to her roommate, who from the sound of the opening door apparently just walked in. “My dad is back. He’s been gone for ten years, and now he’s back.”
My teeth grind against each other. She sounds excited. Thrilled about the return of the man who damaged our family almost beyond repair. I’m not mad at her for it, I just don’t understand. Does she not remember anything about when he was here? How he screamed at us just for passing in front of him while he was watching TV? How he shoved us aside to get to the fridge when we were standing between him and his liquor? The man was not a good role model or father figure in the least. I don’t get it.
“When can I see him?” Elyza asks, compounding my confusion.
“Well, we weren’t really planning to see him at all, but of course he is your dad, and you’re an adult. If you want to see him, you can find him and arrange something. I think he’s staying here in town.”
Mom passes me a withering glare from her end of the couch. “Thanks, Kyri. I think you’ve said enough.”
My stomach rises into my throat. Fuck. I shouldn’t have given Elyza any ideas. That was a particularly bad piece of advice. What is wrong with me? Did I just switch bodies with a UN ambassador or something?
“Oh my God, that’s awesome! I wish I was there in town!” Elyza groans as if she’s missing the live, in-person sighting of Santa Claus. “Let me know if you decide to see him, Ky. I don’t want to go alone, but I really do want to see him. It would be nice to have you along for moral support.”
Fuck, fuckity fuck, fuck, fuck. Now she’s going to drag me along, too. Why does my big mouth have to open at the worst possible times? Karma is being a spectacular bitch to me today.
“Okay, Ely. Talk to you soon. Love you to the moon and back.”
“Love you too! Mwah!” She makes a kissy face at the phone, oblivious to Mom’s tearstained face and obvious distress. I hang up the phone and take Mom back in my arms.
“It’s okay. We’re going to get through this,” I whisper. Mom just clings to me and nods.
“Ky, I don’t know what the two of us would do without you.”
“You won’t have to find out.”
My protector instincts have kicked in. If Rick dares to approach me in public, he’s going to have claw marks on his face. I will show no mercy. We finally had a good family dynamic, and now he’s brought chaos back into the picture. There is no way I’m ever going to forgive him for this. Not a snowball’s chance in hell.
Chapter 16
Jace
“What the fuck, Rick?” I can feel my nostrils flaring. Smoke is practically pouring out of my ears. “We had an agreement, and you just decided to go rogue? Why would you ruin things like that?”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Rick appears downcast as he sits in one of my chairs inside my trailer. “I don’t know, man. I just couldn’t wait any longer, but now I’ve messed things all up. I’m sorry.”
“So now, in addition to our date bombing at the very end, you’ve gone and gotten the Calloway girls mad at you. That’s bloody fantastic.” I slam my fist into the wall behind me.
Rick meets my eyes, studying me quizzically. “Your date went badly?”
“Yeah, and you know why? Because of you,” I bellow, snarling at him. I clench and unclench my fists, trying to keep my cool around my future wife’s estranged father, but her history with him is making it difficult. “What you did to the family damaged her so much that she can’t even be around a man she fancies without running away.”
As he grasps the hair at the back of his neck, Rick’s wild eyes look into mine. “Well, why didn’t you warn me about that?”
“Because I didn’t expect you to pull a stunt like this.” Growling, I fight the fury that wants to break free of my hold. I’ve never wanted to maul a man as much as I do right now. Anyone who hurts my girl is going to pay dearly, but when it’s her father? It’s magnified sevenfold.
Still, he is my manager, and a damn good one at that. My emotions and logic are warring at each other.
“Wait a minute…you were out overnight.” Rick’s wiley grin appears. I know that grin—he’s figured me out. “Is there something else I should know about?”
“Oh, come on, man. Is that really what you want to focus on right now?” I shrug the attention off myself, not wanting to discuss it.
Rising slowly to his feet, Rick sizes me up in a heartbeat. “You’ve never been worked up this much over any girl. You have feelings for my daughter, don’t you?”
Swallowing feels like forcing a planet down my throat. I nod, unable to put into words how quickly I fell for her. It sounds ridiculous even when I try to ration it out in my head. Here I am, thirty-one years old and I’ve never had any sort of serious relationship. Now I’ve committed my life to one person after knowing her for less than a week. My manager’s daughter, no less.
He crosses the floor to me and lays a heavy hand on my shoulder. I catch a glimpse of sincerity when I meet his gaze.
“Well then, I know exactly what we need to do.”
“What’s that?”
Squeezing my shoulder, he grins. “Just leave it to me, son. I may have been gone for half her life, but I still remember my daughter’s most sacred August tradition. You’ll meet her on her own territory and win her back over. We’re going back to Plan A.”
***
Cotton-like clouds hang in a crisp blue sky. The buzzing of bees serenades us as we walk through rows upon rows of trees. Smells of fertilizer and fresh peaches sting my nose. As we make our way through the orchard, my mates pick peaches off the trees and pelt one another with them. I give them a harsh glare.
“Don’t be juvenile,” I scold them. They sneak off a few rows of short trees down and ignore me, making anger burn inside me.
Eddie pipes up, “Relax, Jace. If we get in trouble, we’ll just buy the damn peaches.”
Grunting, I nod. The leader in me doesn’t like to be disrespected, but I know we all need to unwind before going on tour again. Many dull hours of traveling await us.
A beautiful, melodic voice wafts over the field of trees. Her distinctive, chesty giggle is joined by another one that’s lower and ri
cher in sound. I freeze in place like a buck in the woods and crane my neck to see over the trees.
A grin starts on my face when I spot the top of her glorious auburn head.
My legs move without my permission. I run in the direction of the sound, dodging trees and fallen peaches along the way. Her voice calls to me like the howl of a wolf to her alpha. I can’t stand to ignore it. It compels me to come to her rescue.
We came here because Rick told us peach picking is Kyri’s summertime tradition. On the last Saturday of August, she makes a point to come out one last time with her best friend Alex and get the last of the fresh peaches off the trees. I’m to corner her and work my magic on her, hopefully winning her trust if she sees me in a place she loves. I still feel like a tool for plotting with her father against her, but it’s for the benefit of everyone, especially me.
When I’ve almost reached her, I peek through the branches of the trees that separate us. She’s wearing a knee-length white sundress that cinches around her waist. Her hair is pulled into an elegant low ponytail. I watch as she converses with a tall African American woman she seems very friendly with. Looking at her is like breathing in fresh air after being shoved inside a confining cardboard box all day.
She parts ways with her friend at the end of a row, so I come out of hiding and clear my throat. She turns around and her face washes white at the sight of me.
“Jace…” She tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “What are you doing here?”
“Just taking in the scenery.” I let my gaze linger on her, watching the blush I’ve become obsessed with take over her face. “What are you doing here, Kyri?”
“I’m just having a day out with a friend.” She smiles stiffly. “I was trying to forget a few things.”
“I hope one of those things wasn’t me.”
Her eyes flash with a mixture of stubbornness and desire. “No. I’d already forgotten you.”
“Horseshit.”
Calling her on her bluff makes her lips tick upward. “I thought we already said our goodbyes,” she retorts.
“See that’s the thing about goodbyes.” I close the distance between us, coming within two feet of her. “They’re often followed by hellos.”
She fights a smile.
“Unless you’re not enjoying the view, in which case I can leave.”
The flicker in her eyes fans into a flame. “I never said I wasn’t.”
I reach for her hand, surprised when she allows me to take it.
“Walk with me?” I ask. She nods and doesn’t remove her hand from mine as we walk past the rows of trees.
The stroll is silent for a while, with nothing but the distant sound of my mates shouting at each other to ruin the peaceful ambience of birds chirping. Kyri steals sidelong glances at me as I shamelessly stare at her. My eyes have been starved of her for days, and now they’re devouring every last bit of her.
She pulls me toward the trees and plucks a round, plump peach from a lower branch. A pocketknife materializes from her handbag, and she cuts the skin off it and offers me a bite.
“Try this,” she says, and I oblige.
“My God, that’s fucking great,” I mutter around my bite of peach. Kyri takes the fruit from me and bites right over my teeth marks, giving me a sultry look from beneath her long lashes. My cock springs to life in my trousers without even so much as a warning. However, I’m not worried about hiding my girth from her anymore. In fact, I purposely bump against her, letting her feel the member that stole her innocence and wants to do it again.
I never intended to throw her off balance. Kyri’s shoe catches on a peach and it rolls out from underneath her. With a shriek, she falls backward into my arms. I catch her with ease, but almost drop her when she tips up her head to look at me. Her gorgeous eyes meet mine and melt me from the inside out. Her milky eyelids blink twice before she cups my jaw and pulls me in to meet her lips. Surprised, I tighten my grip on her.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper against her lips between kisses. “Sorry for knocking you over.”
“It’s okay.” She clings to my lips with hers. I scoop her up in my arms and go under the tree. Pressing her up against it, I hold her by the legs and they go up to wrap around my waist.
“I can’t stay away from you,” I gush against her.
“I don’t want you to,” she finally admits. Her eyes meet mine. “But you terrify me.”
“You don’t need to be afraid.” Leaning my nose against hers, I let her scent mingle with the smells of the orchard and fill me. Her sweet femininity is about to drive me wild. I’d take her against this tree if my mates weren’t less than a hundred meters away.
Chapter 17
Kyri
“Do you want to get out of here?” Jace whispers lowly against my lips. A thrill vibrates through me.
“Fuck yes,” I reply, giving him another kiss. His touch has driven out all fear and thoughts of running. It’s like an alcoholic having a sip of their favorite cocktail. I can’t stop now that I’ve started.
We trek through the orchard as Jace calls a cab, and on the way we run into the rest of the band and Alex, who met on their own. Alex is sidled up to Damien, wearing her best “flirting” face. I let Alex know she can go home without me and I’ll fill her in on everything later.
When the dingy yellow vehicle arrives, Jace opens the door for me and lets me slide in first. He eases down beside me with a gravelly groan. I feel a tingling sensation between my legs going up into my belly. His hard muscles press into me as he pulls the door shut, then he turns to look down at me.
When I look into his eyes, I want to say something. I want to tell him what changed. All this time, I’ve been fighting even the idea of having more than a fling with him, but Alex’s words really got to me.
Jace Hawthorne is into me. It would be stupid of me not to at least go for round two.
“Where to?” His voice is soft and tender.
“Anywhere as long as I’m with you.”
That’s when Jace’s resolve snaps and he scoops me up into his arms on his lap, kissing the fool out of me.
“Where am I goin’, lovebirds?” The irritated cab driver interrupts our passion.
Jace tells him to take us to our hotel, reflecting my grin. Both of us know exactly what that means.
All the way into Atlanta, Jace melds his tongue and lips to mine and whispers to me about how “incredible” I am.
“These tits are mine once I get you out of this dress,” he growls into my open mouth. “I’m going to make you practice dirty chat until your tongue aches from exhaustion.”
My entire body shudders against his. I scramble for something sexy to say in return.
“I’m going to make you beg for me,” I whisper. It was the first thing that came to mind. Not very original, but my head is spinning so fast it’s hard to form a coherent thought.
“Not a chance,” he says with a chuckle. “I’m going to be the one teasing you into desperation.”
A smirk twists my mouth. “We’ll see about that.”
Jace kisses over my jawline, down my neck, and over my collarbone. When his tongue flicks out to lick my skin, I suck in a gasp. The closer he gets to my breasts, the more they ache for his touch. I’ve never wanted to be manhandled before, but if he doesn’t get his hands on me soon, I’m going to lose it and start stripping right here in the cab.
When we get to the hotel, the only room they have available is the honeymoon suite. It’s up on the top floor. We take the elevator up, and then Jace lifts me into his arms the instant my feet hit the floor of the hallway. He carries me with ease all the way down the hallway to the honeymoon suite and kisses me as he unlocks the door with the card key. When he opens the door, he carries me over the threshold and sets me down inside the room.
It’s a wide open space with a raised king bed and a heart-shaped Jacuzzi. My eyes widen in wonder. I’ve never been inside a hotel room this nice.
Before I get a chance t
o look around much, Jace pulls me back into his embrace and sucks me into his whirlwind of passion again. I feel his hands on the back of my dress. They start to mess with my zipper, then he pulls them away.
“Wait, I’ve got an idea.” He goes to the Jacuzzi and turns the water on. After a moment, the jets pump bubbly, steamy water into the tub.
Jace pushes my hair over my shoulder and unzips my dress for me. I pull it down off me onto the floor. I turn around to face him, feeling self-conscious about being nearly naked in front of him again. My hand goes down to cover myself over my panties, but he gently pulls it away.
“Don’t hide what I want from me, baby.” He pulls me into a deep kiss again. My fingers fumble with the hem of his black tee. I pull it up as far as I can, never leaving his lips, and then he detaches from me briefly to pull it over his head. He undoes his button and zipper, but I won’t let him deprive me of the pleasure of pulling his pants down. Underneath his plaid boxers, I see his cock spring free, and it almost hits me in the breasts as I lean down. I gingerly move my hand up from his pants and touch his covered manhood, amazed at how intimate the simple gesture feels.
He groans underneath my touch. I stroke his member, feeling like I might want to push the limits and see just how far we can go. Pushing my own limits is a good start.
I kneel down and pull his boxers down to the floor, getting up close and personal with his cock. Jace lets me rub my thumb in a slow circle over the tip, then I wrap my whole hand around it and pull back and forth as I move forward to do something I’ve never done to any man before.
My lips close around the tip, and a low moan rips out of his chest. I push him into my mouth as far as I can without gagging myself. His taste is salty and mixes with his musky smell in my mouth and nose. Looking up into his eyes, I watch pleasure course through him as I slide backward and forward on his cock, letting my tongue lick every huge inch of him. A tremor passes through his legs. Every groan soaks my panties more.
